Do you think you've already purchased... YOUR LAST SCANNER?

[Omega-TI]

With more and more public service agencies like police and fire going not just digital, but encrypted as well, has it affected you to the point you believe you've already purchased your last scanner? While there are "other things" to listen to, trains, garbage trucks and school busses don't have a large draw appeal... if you know what I mean. So if you've ALREADY been impacted, I'd like to know how you've kept interest in the hobby afloat, or if it's just slowly slipping away.

 

[eorange]

As said in Ham Radio...spin that dial.

 

[rk911]

Yup, my 536 was my latest purchase back in 2017 at the Dayton HamVention. It's also likely to be my last purchase. I run the 536 in the shack and an old RS 197 in the home office, I'm fortunate in that very little in my county is encrypted...mostly TAC channels...and Phase 1 is still being used. And the P25-1 fire is still being heardon their old VHF freqs. I've been expecting all that to change for some time now. When that happens I'll listen to whatever is available but won't be buying any new radios. What would be the point?

 

[MississippiPI]

Depends...

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

The county I live in Seminole FL, has no encryption despite the P25 phase 2 implementation. We have an adjacent county with Analog EDACS still playing. I think it is economics of implementing KMF and radio upgrades. The county has enough troubles paving roads. The VHF intercity channels come alive with BOLO transmissions in clear from Orange County FL despite their use of encryption.

 

[mule1075]

No will continue to buy.

 

[KC1UA]

Depends...

Yep, and I'll still be scanning even if I'm eventually forced to wear them....

...there will always be something to find, puzzle out, or DX. Although a majority of the tools I used for that are SDR based now, I'm just about 100% certain I haven't bought my last, not even close.

 

[buddrousa]

NOPE
New or Used
NOPE

 

[simmsrep]

I've had pretty much all of the "top" scanners over the years from gre to rsadioshack to whistler and uniden. I have enough scanners if one breaks I just pull out another. But, my SDS100 I use mainly for traveling as I do quite a bit. If something happened to it and it was not repairable I would buy another. If a new scanner came out, unless it had something greater than my arsenal of scanners now have no, I wouldn't.

 

[eorange]

Hey! Is that an airplane in the sky?

 

[jazzboypro]

I have an SDS100 and i don't use it that much. It looks like the manufacturers are releasing new radios with less features than the current models (Icom R-15 comes to mind). Unless my SDS100 breaks beyond repair i don't see why i would buy another scanner unless maybe if new modes were coming around. What i would be willing to buy is a dual band transceiver that would do all the digi modes out of the box and i mean a radio made for the amateur radio market not a commercial radio (a la VP8000) but i don't think this will happen anytime soon.

 

[KF0SKV]

Hard to say. It all depends on what changes on the systems I listen to out here does. So far there is very little encryption in my area. If everything goes all out to the big "E" that would be a hard yes. If the City/County I live in were to go to simulcast, I would probably consider replacing my TRX-2 with a SDS 100/200.

Between my TRX-2 and Pro 106, I feel what I have is more than sufficient for my needs.

 

[bearcatrp]

Just bought the Uniden 160 last month. Not sure I will buy the R15 yet. Still some open police and fire in my area. As you can see in my signature, am pretty much covered all around. Whatever comes out new, will have to do better than what I have now.

 

[DVINTHEHOUSEMAN]

I might get a 436 for DMR/NXDN but otherwise I'm pretty much done with scanners. Outside of WISCOM which I keep my PRO-96 on, I mainly use professional radios for monitoring, and they've been working great so far. My county only has a handful of units that use encryption and the rest operate in the clear. Other counties around me are either fully clear or partially encrypted, and the radios mute the digital garbage but still let you view the RID if you catch it fast enough.

 

[mciupa]

Yes. With the price of SDR's why on Earth pay scanner prices? It stings even more being Canadian and having to make up the difference between American and Canadian dollars.

 

[bearcatrp]

I might get a 436 for DMR/NXDN but otherwise I'm pretty much done with scanners. Outside of WISCOM which I keep my PRO-96 on, I mainly use professional radios for monitoring, and they've been working great so far.

Cheaper to get the 352P2 for those modes. Unless you need zip code scanning, the 325P2 will cover that plus has P25. The new 160 comes with DMR and NXDN at $249.. Hard to bet that price.

 

[DVINTHEHOUSEMAN]

Cheaper to get the 352P2 for those modes. Unless you need zip code scanning, the 325P2 will cover that plus has P25. The new 160 comes with DMR and NXDN at $249.. Hard to bet that price.

Neither have recording however. DMR and NXDN freqs here are fairly dead so if I was going to leave it record and then check back I can do that with the 436 and not the others.

 

[bearcatrp]

That’s one thing Uniden screwed up on the new radios. No record function. I don’t record on my handhelds anyways. My SDS200 does the recording the last couple years using Proscan. Can always use my cell phone if I need to record.

 

[KK4JUG]

I've probably bought my last scanner for two important reasons:
1. Encryption is more and more filling the air with nothing.
2. I'm 80. While I'm pretty active with a country band + CNC router and laser services, there's not much to hear locally anymore. I have an SDS200 in the car (and a 100 I can carry around) so I can and do listen when I travel.

 

[TGuelker]

Went from a CCR to a Pro2096 to a HPII and now the SDS200. I don’t plan to buy another scanner. If the SDS200 fails it will be sent for repair.